1 The Green

Picturesque cottage situated at the foot of Edinburgh’s Pentland hills.  Previous wing and shoulder extensions and large front dormer are disjointed elements that do not enhance or represent original character or materiality of the existing building.  

The project aspires to resolve and reconcile these elements with a contemporary extension, creating brighter, open spaces more accommodating to modern living.

The footprint of the extension and open gable end work within the existing topography to create a new distinctive outdoor space within the split levels of the site.

31 Rowallan Gardens

Situated in the middle of a long Victorian terrace in Glasgow’s West End, Rowallan Gardens is a well proportioned, family house. The rear of the building faces SW and original outhouses had previously been replaced with a conservatory. This together with a narrow, outrigger kitchen was providing the residents with their primary, daily, living space: a little cramped with the conservatory suffering from seasonal temperature extremes. 

Arka’s brief was to remove the conservatory and re-invent the entire rear of the house to enable sitting, eating and cooking in the same space whilst enjoying the garden and westerly evening aspect.

Image credit: wearebraw @wearebraw

83 South Broomage Avenue

Arka was contacted by the owners of a handsome semi-detached Victorian property to explore options to consolidate a plethora of piecemeal historic rear extensions in order to provide additional family living space whilst reinventing the house’s prominent rear and side elevations. The solution involved replacement of an existing utility room, an additional extension and glazing elements to provide a separate dining area.

Substantial structural alterations were required to open up the heart of the house allowing better dialogue and dramatic interplay between the new spaces. A textural palette of Siberian larch, powder coated aluminium and tactile black brick was used externally to provide both a coherence to these new interventions and balanced contrast with the existing building.

Woodlands Crescent

This small single-storey extension to a much loved semi-detached Victorian family dwelling was designed to replace an inefficient existing conservatory, consolidate the rear quarters of the house into a larger family hub space and provide direct access to the rear garden. The relationship between the now larger kitchen space and new dining/garden room volumes are offset through an oversized opening to create diagonal views between, with differentiation to each area expressed through the modelling of the ceilings. Externally, a combination of slate and rustic brick references the materiality of the existing building, with a contemporary flat roof and bi-folding glazing to the projecting garden room.

Middlestrath Mill

Arka was approached to design an extension to a previous mill conversion to re-model the living areas and provide a dramatic new dining space. Designed as an extrusion of the existing building, stone and white render have been used to define the external form, with large areas of glazing and an infill texture of greenheart slats and cladding. Internally an oak stair wraps a double height space with an integrated bookcase lining the ascent the galleried first floor.

FEDERATION OF MASTER BUILDERS AWARDS (Scotland) 2013 – WINNER

SSA WOOD FOR GOOD AWARD 2013 – WINNER

Kilnside

The original house at Kilnside was designed by Sir JJ Burnet for the manager of the then nearby Camelon Iron works.

Falkirk’s industrial powerhouses of iron and brick works have long since gone but the house now sits within the recently defined Arnothill Conservation area. Arka were asked to design an extension to the original house to enhance its modest kitchen / dining space and to allow for a better connection to the rear garden. 

Robust forms influenced by the original house and a reclaimed brick are counterpointed with full height glazing and deep projecting eaves to create a pavilion extension. This accommodates an increased dining room as well as a new living room area with corner fire and full height glass to glass corner windows. Additional glazing and raised ceiling heights make this a very bright and spacious addition to the original house. 

Hillcroft

Hillcroft is a fine Grade B listed double villa situated in Dullatur with elegant proportions and a richly modelled front façade. The main garden however is at the side of the building, on an elevation with only two ancillary windows. Designed as a simple glassy box, this elegant garden room uses a limited palette of natural materials, with a solid post and beam structure and timber corbelling in Douglas Fir to the garden side and a more abstract natural stone elevation and glass bay window to the driveway. A balcony gives winding access to an upper terrace and further steps down into the garden.

Frobisher Avenue

Located at the end of a 1970’s cul-de-sac, Arka were commissioned to undertake a total re-design and extension of the house for a young family who had recently purchased the property. To cater for modern living the brief required more open-plan kitchen / living / dining space as well as a better interaction with the rear garden area which itself benefits from a south aspect and mature planting. 

Key moves were to re-orientate the staircase to allow a better flow from the entry porch into the hall and through the ground floor accommodation.

The rear ‘L’ shaped extension creates a dramatic living/dining space with bi-folding doors which slide away from each other to form a fully open internal corner with direct access to the patio and garden space. The design utilised a mix of brick, render and timber slats to refresh the external appearance.

The use of the larch slats was recognised in the Wood For Good Awards 2016.

Almondhill House

Part of a group of farm buildings outside Kirkliston, this 1.5 storey cottage had been insensitively extended in the 1970s with a large, boxy, single storey extension to the rear. The intent was to increase the accommodation with a sensitive remodelling that replaced the original extension with something that sat comfortably with the traditional character of the farm cottages. Internally however, the need was for contemporary, open living spaces that exploited the exceptional views that had gone unseen up to now.

EDINBURGH ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2013 – SHORTLISTED

21 South Broomage Avenue

Arka was appointed by the purchasers of the original semi-detached bungalow and tasked with designing a rear extension to create a new open plan kitchen and dining area, which could open out to the south facing garden. 

In addition a new utility room, accessible shower room, snug and garage were required on the ground floor along with a new dressing room and ensuite on the 1st floor. All of these were accommodated in a side extension connected to the new rear extension. 

The design was influenced by the clients desire to have the external aesthetics work with their internal styling preferences. As such the strong brick forms and use of Crittall-style fenestration as well as utilising the brick as an internal finish helped to create bright and airyspaces ideal for modern living whilst still allowing the original house to be fully integrated and utilised.